Jurgen Klopp knows Liverpool need to put a run of wins together if they want to finish in the Premier League's top four this season.
The Reds have endured a difficult start to the campaign, winning just four of their first 11 games to sit eighth in the table. They're currently 12 points behind leaders Arsenal, 10 behind champions Manchester City in second and five behind Chelsea in fifth.
Liverpool fans thought their tricky start was behind them after their 1-0 home win against City earlier this month, but their 1-0 away loss to Nottingham Forest last Saturday sent them back to square one. A win against Leeds feels like a must for Klopp's side.
Liverpool welcome Jesse Marsch's side to Anfield on Saturday evening. Leeds are in the bottom of three, but a Reds win can't be taken for granted seeing as they lost to Forest - the Premier League's basement club - just seven days ago. The pressure is on.
Klopp has confirmed Naby Keita, Joel Matip, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Arthur Melo will all miss the game due to injury, while Jordan Henderson faces a late fitness test. The good news is Ibrahima Konate is fit and in contention for a rare Premier League outing.
Konate has played just 12 league games since he joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021 but returned to the matchday squad for the 3-0 win against Champions League Ajax on Wednesday evening. Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are also available.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are both fit and will be expecting to play, while it's hard to imagine Alisson not starting in goal. Fabinho is likely to start in holding midfield and Harvey Elliott could play to the right of the Brazilian if Henderson is out.
One player who seems certain to play is Thiago Alcantara, who missed the fixtures against Forest and Ajax with an ear infection. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez are expected to continue up front after Liverpool's positive result in midweek.
"With Hendo [Henderson], we have to wait a little bit," Klopp told reporters at a press conference on Friday. "It's a knock, he was a bit stiff yesterday, had only treatment yesterday. So we will see how he will be today. I expect him to be OK, to be honest.
"And Thiago is back. Naby [Keita] not yet. Joel [Matip] will not be back - he's here training but rehab. You don't have to ask about Diogo [Jota] for a while and not for Luis [Diaz] for a while."
On Konate, Klopp added: "He's a step closer, definitely, a few days more and he's around now and is now available. How long? We will see but he's available."
Possible Liverpool XI vs Leeds: Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson, Harvey Elliott, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Darwin Nunez.
